Liverpool vs. Stoke: Reds Continue to Frustrate After Scoreless Draw

It's been a frustrating season thus far for Liverpool, and it didn't get any better for the Reds after a scoreless draw on Sunday with Stoke.

The Reds looked like the better team for the majority of the match, controlling possession for almost two-thirds of the contest. But, in what has seemed to be the story line for Liverpool all season, the Reds just couldn't convert.

In the second half, the Reds were in almost full control of the ball, but just couldn't seem to create any clear-cut chances against Stoke's heavily defensive style.

The players were frustrated and the fans only added to it as they rained down chants of "you’re not famous anymore." A chant that only built on the tongue lashing the players received earlier in the week by Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, who called his team "lazy" after a loss to Udinese on Thursday.

But, the message didn't seem to have much of an effect.

Stoke controlled the style of the game and were just more physical than the Reds on the ball. Stoke won many of the one-on-one battles, and refused to allow Liverpool a comfortable possession on their end of the pitch.

Liverpool did get three times the amount of shots on goal (18 to six) than Stoke, but their keeper only had to make two saves. The Reds had a couple of close calls on set pieces, and Luis Suarez got a bit unlucky on a hard shot that hit the post. But, overall, it was a comfortable defensive match for Stoke.

The draw didn't do much to help the Reds move up in the standings either. They’re still on the bottom half of the table, and after the draw it's sure to be another frustrating week in the Reds camp.

If Liverpool doesn't get it together soon, it will be a very long season for everyone fans and players alike.